Part 17 (1/2)

His belly already partially filled, he irl; yet could she afford to chance so iency? She doubted it Upon the other hand she was no more minded to allow this frail opportunity for life to entirely elude her without taking or attee from it

She watched the lion narrowly He could not see her without turning his head more than halfway around She would attempt a ruse Silently she rolled over in the direction of the nearest tree, and away froain in the same position in which Numa had left her, but a few feet farther fro the lion; but the beast gave no indication that he had heard aught to arouse his suspicions Again she rolled over, gaining a few id conte what seemed hours to her tense nerves, Jane Clayton continued these tactics, and still the lion fed on in apparent unconsciousness that his second prey was escaping hiirl was but a few paces froh to chance springing to her feet, throwing caution aside anda sudden, bold dash for safety She was halfway over in her turn, her face away froreat head and fastened his eyes upon her He saw her roll over upon her side away froain toward hiirl's every pore as she realized that with life alrasp, death had found her out

For a long tiirl nor the lion moved The beast layeyes fixed upon the rigid victiht into those cruel orbs, daring not to move even aso unbearable that she could scarcely restrain a growing desire to scream, when Nu; but his back-layed ears attested a sinister regard for the actions of the girl behind hiain turn without attracting his immediate and perhaps fatal attention, Jane Clayton resolved to risk all in one last attempt to reach the tree and cla herself stealthily for the effort, she leaped suddenly to her feet, but al up, wheeled and ide-distended jaws and terrific roars, charged swiftly down upon her

Those who have spent lifetiame of Africa will tell you that scarcely any other creature in the world attains the speed of a charging lion For the short distance that the great cat caniant locoh the distance that Jane Clayton must cover was relatively small, the terrific speed of the lion rendered her hopes of escape alh the upward spring of the lion as he neared the tree into which she was scraht his talons in contact with her boots she eluded his raking grasp, and as he hurtled against the bole of her sanctuary, the girl drew herself into the safety of the branches above his reach

For so, beneath the tree in which Jane Clayton crouched, panting and treirl was a prey to the nervous reaction froh which she had so recently passed, and in her overwrought state it seeround aers which infested the broad stretch of jungle that she knew e of her faithful Waziri

It was al, and even had his place beside the reled ape not been immediately usurped by a pack of hyenas, Jane Clayton would scarcely have dared venture froht, and so she co and tiresoht offer some means of escape from the dread vicinity in which she had witnessed such terrifying adventures

Tired nature at last overcame even her fears, and she dropped into a deep sluh rather uncoainst the bole of the tree, and supported by two large branches which greard, almost horizontally, but a few inches apart

The sun was high in the heavens when she at last awoke, and beneath her was no sign either of Numa or the hyenas Only the clean-picked bones of the ape, scattered about the ground, attested the fact of what had transpired in this seeer and thirst assailed her now, and realizing that she e to undertake the ordeal of continuing her journey through the jungle

Descending from the tree, she set out in a southerly direction, toward the point where she believed the plains of Waziri lay, and though she knew that only ruin and desolation marked the spot where once her happy ho to the broad plain she es that were scattered over the surrounding country, or chance upon a roving band of these indefatigable huntsmen

The day was half spent when there broke unexpectedly upon her startled ears the sound of a rifle shot not far ahead of her As she paused to listen, this first shot was followed by another and another and another What could itto herto an encounter between the Arab raiders and a party of Waziri; but as she did not know upon which side victory ht rest, or whether she were behind friend or foe, she dared not advance nearer on the chance of revealing herself to an ene for several minutes she becaed in the fight, since nothing approxi the sound of a volley reached her ears; but still she hesitated to approach, and at last, deter foliage of a tree beside the trail she had been following and there fearfully awaited whateverbecah she could distinguish no words, and at last the reports of the guns ceased, and she heard twosilence which was finally broken by the stealthy padding of footfalls on the trail ahead of her, and in anothertoward her, a rifle ready in his hands, and his eyes directed in careful watchfulness along the way that he had conized the uest in her holad relief when she saw him leap quickly to one side and hide himself in the thick verdure at the trail's side It was evident that he was being followed by an enemy, and so Jane Clayton kept silent, lest she distract Frecoult's attention, or guide his foe to his hiding place

Scarcely had Frecoult hidden hiure of a white-robed Arab crept silently along the trail in pursuit Fro place, Jane Clayton could see both nized Achmet Zek as the leader of the band of ruffians who had raided her home and made her a prisoner, and as she saw Frecoult, the supposed friend and ally, raise his gun and take careful aim at the Arab, her heart stood still and every power of her soul was directed upon a fervent prayer for the accuracy of his aim

Achmet Zek paused in the middle of the trail His keen eyes scanned every bush and tree within the radius of his vision His tall figure presented a perfect target to the perfidious assassin There was a sharp report, and a little puff of sian, as Achmet Zek stumbled forward and pitched, face down, upon the trail

As Werper stepped back into the trail, he was startled by the sound of a glad cry from above him, and as he wheeled about to discover the author of this unexpected interruption, he saw Jane Clayton drop lightly from a nearby tree and run forith outstretched hands to congratulate hiain a Prisoner

Though her clothes were torn and her hair disheveled, Albert Werper realized that he never before had looked upon such a vision of loveliness as that which Lady Greystoke presented in the relief and joy which she felt in co so unexpectedly upon a friend and rescuer when hope had seeian had entertained any doubts as to the woe of his part in the perfidious attack upon her hoenuine friendliness of her greeting She told him quickly of all that had befallen her since he had departed from her home, and as she spoke of the death of her husband her eyes were veiled by the tears which she could not repress